Lahore Digital Film Festival

We’re excited to share a big news with you as we work towards the launch of Lahore Digital Film Festival - Region’s first ever Online Short Film Festival.

This competition aims to provide a platform that will invite young and talented filmmakers from all over the world to be a part of this virtual festival, which has some of the most renowned jury members from Pakistan, Bollywood and Hollywood.

Every generation has a story to tell, and this story is carved out from the compilation of voices, images and immediate experiences of any given culture. Filmmaking, like any other art form reflects the ever-changing current of both individual and collective experiences and acts as a foil to our lives and imaginations.

In a country like Pakistan, where filmmaking is an untapped market, we aim to flourish Pakistan's film industry with a breed of new inspiring and motivated filmmakers of different genre. Lahore Digital Film Festival intends to harness the huge potential of young filmmakers and trying to fulfil the content appetite of our mobile and digital data consumers.

We believe that filmmaking does not only project a singular sensibility but also rather possess the power to alter perceptions and encourage a new degree of consciousness; one that challenges the intellectual and artistic notions of the audience. The most exciting aspect of filmmaking is the ability to capture either a story, or a moment within that story that carries enough weight to resonate on a personal level with each audience member.

With Samina Peerzada as the Festival Director, Adnan Butt as the Producer and prestigious jury members like Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Bilal Lashari, Salman Shahid, Naseer-ud-din Shah, Saleema Hashmi, Haseena Moin, Faran Tahir, Akifa Mian, Mohsin Hamid, Irfan Ajeeb, Alby James, Sarmad Khoosat, Umaira Ahmad and Haissam Hussain, this competition is going to be one of a kind and will set the bar high for talented filmmakers. Such highly reputable jury panel will ensure to promote quality films, which will be visually appealing and constructed in an exemplary fashion. Our association with Fox Studios and Disney will allow us to take the next leap with our winners and taking content creation to a whole new level for a growing market like Pakistan.

Our objective is to uncover a raw reservoir of talent by creating a digital platform for directors, actors and scriptwriters alike to articulate their creative visions. By providing a digital platform and asking participants to upload their films, we are able to fully tap into the magnitude of talent through a more accessible medium. We have provided the option of genres, such as drama, thriller and comedy to ensure maximum variation of the content that is submitted.

We endeavor to support a promising collection of filmmakers and artists who value the art of filmmaking and illustrate a skillful vision and implementation of their ideas. Your support in this process can be a game changer for us as we aim to bring the best entertainment to our digital and cinema audiences – what better way to crowdsource it with the help of Pakistani talent!

The show is conceived, produced and released by Walnut Media.

Music Latte 2014

presented by Walnut Studios

Walnut studios, in collaboration with Levi’s®, held the second edition of Music Latte this weekend on 28th February 2014. Music Latte, a platform initiated by Walnut Studios and supported by Levi’s®, was initially launched last year to celebrate the gifted and talented musicians of Pakistan. As an icon of youth culture, music has been subconsciously and consciously woven into the fabric of the Levi’s® brand for the last 100 years. Like the Levi’s® brand, great music is defined through originality, authenticity and youth spirit, values that similarly are best reflected by the youth they represent. Levi’s® wants to make sure that these values never die, so through supporting initiatives such as Music Latte, Levi’s® is on a mission to support the bands and institutions that keep music alive, the world over.

This year the event took place at Levi’s® Mall Of Lahore store. The innovative format – which is being increasingly well received by audiences – is a first of its kind, where the gig is streamed live via the internet. Music lovers all across the world got to be a part of the event simply by logging onto www.facebook.com/walnutstudios and www.pakmediarevolution.net/
Upcoming talented singer Faizan Arshad kicked off the event with his brilliant take on Ali Azmat’s Garaj Baras which was a delight to hear. He followed it with a cover of Sonu Nigam’s soulful love ballad Abhi mujh mein kaheen and ended with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Kinna Sohna Taenun Rab Ne Banaya. Mujeeb Mustafa then took to the stage and left the audience asking for more after his splendid cover of Shankar Mahadevan’s Breathless.

The very popular SYMT started off with cover of Usha Uthap’s Darling. Their rendition of their latest chart topper Dil Ki Aankhon Se, which also features verses from Vital Sign’s yesteryear hit Yaad Karna, was a delight to listen to. The much awaited Koi Labda was then performed for which SYMT requested QB to join them. Getting feedback in the moment on all Facebook pages about the songs being performed, Hassan Omer from SYMT said
‘It’s great to know that there are so many more people watching! And although the live audience gives us feedback through appreciation, fans online get to do the same in real time. I’m truly excited to be part of this initiative!‘
QB then took to the stage. Her performance was highly awaited as this event was touted to be her official comeback. Her mash up was of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Tu Mera Dil and INXS’ Afterglow. QB’s performance was one of the showstoppers for the night.

4 Paee, the phenomenal garage band then performed. Their upbeat covers of Adele’s Rolling In The Deep and James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful were a musical treat. Overload’s front man, Farhad Humayun also came to support and cheer the musicians on. ‘It’s great to see music lovers finally coming out and these initiatives being taken by the music lovers of Pakistan. Kudos to Walnut Studios and Levi’s® for creating the perfect mix of technology and music’, he said.
The Music Latte 2014 event was also recorded and will be available for audiences to view online on www.facebook.com/walnutstudios

Peace Jam 2014

to go on air in Ramadan

Peace Jam 2014 organized by Walnut Studios took place celebrating Pakistani culture and the best of Sufi Music and Poetry amongst hordes of fans and admirers. Celebrating the ethnic culture and what Pakistan is rich in, performances by the likes of Saeein Zahoor and Sanam Marvi had everyone swooning on their feet with their popular numbers being an instant hit.

Other artists who performed included renowned singer Surriya Khanum, Rizwan Moazzam Qawaals from Faisalabad, Israr Nabi Bukhsh from Lahore, Bazm-e-Laiqa from Gilgit Baltistan, Zar Sanga from Tank, Shah Jo Baag Fakirs from Bitshah and Pupoo Saaein from Lahore.

There was a significant number of people in attendance showing their support for the initiative taken by Walnut Media, supporting a cause to revive celebrating Pakistan‘s culture and some of the most talented artists of Pakistan.

The event that took place at Rafi Peer Cultural Complex was produced by Walnut Studios aiming to give the artists a platform to revive cultural arts. Real-time recording was done and a series of videos consisting of devotional content were developed. The content will be released on digital in the month of Ramzan.

Walnut Expands To GCC

(UAE, OMAN)

Walnut Media, a renowned digital agency has expanded and flown all the way from Pakistan to Dubai World Central, opening their first office in the Middle East and being the first independent agency from Pakistan to expand without any affiliation.
Walnut Media’s company portfolio contains some of the most successful businesses including multiple Fortune 500 companies. Walnut Media, as an agency, has always raised the standard and set a new benchmark in Pakistan, being the only FB Studio Award winner from the whole region last year and being active partners of Cannes Lions 2013 and Eurobest’13.

Walnut expands to UAE & GCC hoping to tap into the creative dearth present which gives them defined opportunities.
Offering services like Design, Development, Social, Content and Mobile, Walnut claims that their motto is creativity and innovation and the aim is to enrich their consumer’s experience with their expertise.
CEO of Walnut Media, Muhammad Adnan Butt stated:
‘As a company, we’re always looking to broaden our horizons and expand our reach to a global level, while staying true to our roots and not forgetting our duty as responsible citizens to assist and develop local enterprises with our expertise. Simply put, we’re young, we’re ambitious and we’re striving for perfection by always looking ahead to the future. Because the best way to predict the future is to create it!’

Pakistan Superstar

Pakistan's First Digital Music Reality Show